by William Jones

“ Bath'd every shrub, and sprinkled every flower,
That on the banks, like many a lovely bride,
View'd in the liquid glass their blushing pride;
Whilst on each branch, with purple blossoms hung,
The sportful birds their joyous descant sung.
While Maia, thus entranc'd in sweet delight,
With each gay object fed her eager sight,
The goddess mildly caught her willing hand,
And led her trembling o'er the flowery land. ”

“ To warm the traveller numb'd with winter's cold;
The young to cherish, to support the old;
The sad to comfort, and the weak protect;
The poor to shelter, and the loft direct:—
These are her cares, and this her glorious task;
Can heaven a nobler give, or mortals ask?
Come to these groves, and these life-breathing glades,
Ye friendless orphans, and ye dowerless maids!
With eager haste your mournful mansions leave,
Ye weak, that tremble; and, ye sick, that grieve;
Here shall soft tents, o'er flowery lawns display'd,
At night defend you, and at noon o'ershade ”

“ The goddess grants the simple youth's request,
And mildly thus accosts her lovely guest:
"On that smooth mirror, full of magick lights
"Awhile, dear Maia, fix thy wandering sight"
She looks; and in th' enchanted crystal sees
A bower o'er-canopied with tufted trees:
The wanton stripling lies beneath the shade,
And by his side reclines a blooming maid ”

“ A winged youth, for mortal eyes too fair,
Shot like a meteor through the dusky air;
His heavenly charms o'ercame her dazled fight,
And drown'd her senses in a flood of light;
His sunny plumes defending he display'd,
And softly thus address'd the mournful maid:
"Say, thou, who dost yon wondrous ring possess,
"What cares disturb thee, or what wants oppress;
"To faithful ears disclose thy secret grief,
"And hope (so heaven ordains) a quick relief."
The maid replied, "Ah, sacred genius, bear
"A hopeless damsel from this land of care ”

“ See yon fair groves that o'er Amana rife,
And with their spicy breath embalm the skies;
Where every breeze sheds incense o'er the vales.
And every shrub the scent of musk exhales!
See through yon opening glade a glittering scene,
Lawns ever gay, and meadows ever green!
Then ask the groves, and ask the vocal bowers,
Who deck'd their spiry tops with blooming flowers.
Taught the blue stream o'er sandy vales to flow,
And the brown wild with liveliest hues to glow?
[*] Fair Solima! the hills and dales will sing ”

“ If the novelty of the following poems should recommend them to the favour of the reader, it may, probably, be agreeable to him to know, that there are many others of equal or superior merit, which have never appeared in any language of Europe; and I am persuaded that a writer, acquainted with the originals, might imitate them very happily in his native tongue, and that the publick would not be displeased to see the genuine compositions of Arabia and Persia in an English dress. ”

“ The Persian plural is formed by adding اَن‎ or هَا‎ to the singular: but these terminations are not wholly arbitrary; on the contrary, they are regulated with great precision. The names of animals generally form their plural in اَن‎, as,
82. But, words which signify things without life, make their plurals by adding the syllable ها‎ ”

“ Then plaintive speaks, "Ah! fond mistaken maid,
"How was thy mind by gilded hopes betray'd!
"Why didst thou with for bowers and flowery hills,
"For smiling meadows, and for purling rills;
"Since on those hills no youth or damsel roves,
"No shepherd haunts the solitary groves?
"Ye meads that glow with intermingled dyes,
"Ye flowering palms that from yon hillocks rise,
"Ye quivering brooks that softly murmur by,
"Ye panting gales that on the branches die;
"Ah! why has Nature through her gay domain
"Display'd your beauties, yet display'd in vain? ”

“ Time's envious hand had plough'd his wrinkled face,
Yet on those wrinkles fat superiour grace;
Still full of fire appear'd his vivid eye,
Darted quick beams, and seem'd to pierce the sky,
At length, with gentle voice and look serene,
He wav'd his hand, and thus address'd the queen;
"Twice forty winters tip my beard with snow,
"And age's chilling gulls around me blow:
"In early youth, by contemplation led,
"With high pursuits my flatter'd thoughts were fed ”

“ It must not be supposed, from my zeal for the literature of Asia, that I mean to place it in competition with the beautiful productions of the Greeks and Romans; for I am convinced, that, whatever changes we make in our opinions, we always return return to the writings of the ancients, as to the standard of true taste. ”

“ Their glowing tints unwillingly display.
The youth, while joy sits sparkling in his eyes,
Pants on her neck, and on her bosom dies;
From her smooth cheek nectareous dew he sips,
And all his soul comes breathing to his lips.
But Maia turns her modest eyes away,
And blushes to behold their amorous play. ”

“ The song, which follows, was first printed at the end of a Persian grammar; but, for the satis-faction of those who may hare any doubt of its being genuine, it seemed proper to set down the original of it in Roman characters at the bottom of the page. The ode of Petrarch was added, that the reader might compare the manner of the Asiatick poets with that of the Italians, many of whom have written in the true spirit of the Easterns: some of the Persian songs have a striking resemblance to the sonnets of Petrarch ”

“ This is, certainly, a considerable difficulty, which must be surmounted before the learner can translate an Indian letter: but I am persuaded, that those who chiefly complain of it have another difficulty still greater, which is their imperfect knowledge of the language. ”

“ Waconto dagiyyi` lleili fihi helalan.
that is; [1] the stranger and the pilgrim well know, when the sky is dark, and the north-wind rages, when the mothers leave their sucking infants, when no moisture can be seen in the clouds, that thou art bountiful to them as the spring, that thou art their chief support, that thou art a sun to them by day, and a moon in the cloudy night.
The hint of the next poem, or The Palace of Fortune, was taken from an Indian tale, translated a few years ago from the Persian by a very ingenious gentleman in the service of the India-company ”

“ Flow'd o'er the lawn, and swept the pearly dew;
O'er the fresh turf they sprinkled sweet perfume,
And strow'd with flowers the venerable tomb.
A graceful matron walk'd before the train,
When from her face her silken veil she drew,
The watchful maid her aged mother knew.
O'erpowered with bursting joy she runs to meet
The mourning dame, and falls before her feet. ”

“ But if such word end in the aspirated (Arabic characters) , (Art. 29) , the termination (Arabic characters) or (Arabic characters) , will be regularly added; as, (Arabic characters) , the king; (Arabic characters) , kings; (Arabic characters) , way; (Arabic characters) , ways.
If, however, a noun signifying any thing irrational end in silent (Arabic characters) , this letter will be rejected in forming the plural; as, (Arabic characters) , the house ”

“ And heaven's blue fields with brighter radiance smil'd,
Now in a garden deck'd with verdant bowers
The glittering car descends on bending flowers:
The goddess still with looks divinely fair
Surveys the sleeping objecr of her care ”